Among many seafood lovers, oysters are a favorite and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Oysters are commonly prepared for consumption as oysters on the half shell (in which raw oysters are presented to a consumer with the bottom half of the oyster shell) or as Oysters Rockefeller or Oysters Bienville (in which oysters on the half shell are topped with various ingredients and then baked or broiled). Alternatively, oysters can be completely removed from the shell and eaten fried, baked, broiled or raw. Prior to consumption, oysters are partially or completely removed from the shell using a technique which is commonly known as “shucking”.
A common oyster shucking technique involves holding an oyster firmly in one hand and a knife in the other hand. The blade of the knife is initially inserted between the top and bottom portions of the oyster shell next to the hinge which connects the top and bottom shell portions. The top shell portion is cut from the bottom shell portion as the inserted knife is moved from one side to the other side of the hinge. The top shell portion is then separated from the bottom shell portion and discarded, after which the oyster may then be cut free from the bottom shell portion. In preparation of oysters on the half shell, the oyster is typically placed back on the bottom shell portion and presented to a consumer in a raw or uncooked condition. In preparation of Oysters Rockefeller or Oysters Bienville, the oysters are typically placed back on the bottom shell portion and seasoned and baked. In other preparation methods, both the top and bottom shell portions may be discarded after the oyster is removed from the bottom shell portion.
Oyster shucking typically requires that a person apply sufficient force against the handle of the shucking knife to completely cut the top shell portion from the bottom shell portion of the oyster shell. One of the common drawbacks of shucking oysters is the tendency for the shucking knife to inadvertently slip out of place and cut, puncture or even impale the hand which holds the oyster as the shell portions are separated from each other. Moreover, a broken or fragmented oyster shell frequently has sharp edges which have a tendency to cut either hand of the person. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that persons who shuck oysters wear a puncture-resistant glove on the hand which holds the oyster as well as on the hand which holds the knife during shucking. Additionally, the oysters are typically maintained under ice cold conditions for serving to customers after they are shucked. Conventional puncture-resistant gloves typically do not thermally insulate the hands from the cold conditions which prevail during shucking. The coldness may numb the hands of the person, increasing the safety hazard of the shucking operation.
Accordingly, puncture-resistant and cut-resistant gloves which are particularly suitable for protecting the hands of a wearer from being inadvertently cut, punctured or impaled while shucking oysters are needed.